Dont let the looks of a car tease you, Its all about how it drives. A honda accord or toyota camry are great starter cars because they rarely have severe problems if you treat them good. Plus you can get a nice one for under $3000

Rememeber its not gonna go fast but it will get you there faster than walking and trust me you dont want to walk everywere.

The other question that needs to be answered is do you have anybody who can teach you how to drive a manual, and do you have any desire how to learn? I personally prefer a manual car over an automatic because I find that it's a lot more fun driving a manual because I feel like I'm in control of the car, as opposed to just being along for the ride. I find it to be a much more rewarding experience, and it's a lot more enjoyable, and I can have more fun, since I'm more in control.

However, it's not for everybody. Some people just want to get in their car and go. And it also takes a bit of time to learn, and a while to master.

For under 10,000. There are a ton of options, and each option will have it's upsides. Vehicles are like paintball masks, certain ones fit certain people. For me, my beat to hell yota with 171k on it is the best vehicle I've owned. But to the people who bought my 01 focus, that was the cream of the crop to them. I personally despised that little yellow turd, but they love it.

If you can, try to get a feel for what you like, you have a ton of options.

With a stick you have better control of when the car shifts and can squeeze out a bit better gas mileage because of it. Plus it's more fun, and it gives you something else to do, besides just sit there all bored like. Honda would be a good company to buy from. I'd recommend getting a service manual, the big thick kind they use at auto repair shops, that should have instructions on how to fix just about everything on your car, and google will fill in the rest. Working on your car yourself not only saves you money, but it's also more fun and rewarding.